Impact assessment of revised retroreflectivity requirements for highway signs in Montana

The objective of this report is to give a preliminary assessment of the impact that revised retroreflectivity requirements will have on the State of Montana. Conclusions and recommendations are made for Montana's future management and handling of sign inventory data. This objective is addressed through the following tasks: Task A: Review, assimilation and analyses of current literature available on a nationwide basis; Task B: Discussion of results from a multi-state phone solicitation regarding state sign management practices and policies; Task C: An assessment of sign reflectivity inspection equipment and sampling methodology; and Task D: Evaluation of Montana's sign inventory on the basis of current practices and condition of a limited sampling of signs. Recommendations of this report include upgrading of, or improvements to Montana Department of Transportation's sign management system and multi-district statewide retroreflective sampling to better determine the impacts revised standards may have.